


Follow the trail

by Ayleid



Series: SWTOR tales [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Being Apart, Flashbacks, Grophets, M/M, Pining, Slow Romance, nostalgic longing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-04 16:59:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14024670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayleid/pseuds/Ayleid
Summary: Agent Shan has it bad, and it's time he faced it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Our hearts can only take so much pining, but after a few chapters I will proceed to Rise of the Emperor, and let these two meet again.

At times Theron caught himself wondering if everything prior to the events on Yavin was just preparation for what came after. The awakening of the Emperor was something not even his mother could prepare for, and suffice to say, even the most decorated officers of the Republic were at the loss of words. As if the situation wasn’t already dire on the battlefield, the SIS outposts confirmed that the Empire not only resumed their operations at full charge, but their morale was highly bolstered even in the remote corners of the galaxy.

Sometimes Theron wondered if all his training, all his experience and expertise on the field had only been practice. All those times when he escaped death just by being at the right place at the same time, or having called the right favours from the right people. Was that all just practice? The most powerful (and murderous) being in the galaxy had been awakened, and no one could predict its next move...

. . .

The events on Yavin 4 were disastrous for several reasons. The awakening of the Emperor was one thing, letting go of the most exotic, most welcome complication of Theron’s life was an entirely other matter. When Lana Beniko approached him with the offer of a rather unusual alliance, Theron did not suspect she would also introduce him the infamous bounty hunter who galaxy-wide had the highest Republic issued bounty on his own head.

That meeting was the beginning of an adventure Theron wasn’t prepared for. He had relationships before, how could he not have them? But the game Werd began to play with him had Theron anticipate every holocall, every greeting, every opportunity he and the Mandalorian would have. What they had on Rishi and Yavin 4 proved that he wasn’t alone with the budding feelings, and for a few weeks Theron didn’t exactly know what to do with that information.

The logical course of action would have been denying the attraction, the charm and the sweet, raw tension between them. He should have kept things professional and simple, but his heart got the better of him. The Mandalorian’s appearance, his mannerisms, even his voice captivated the secret agent and in the small hours of the night when Lana was dozing off from exhaustion, Theron borrowed her datapad to read more about the hunter. He couldn’t have enough, and it was all an inexplicable mystery for him as well, since he hadn’t even seen the man’s face to begin with. The Mandalorian helmet concealed every inch of Werd’s face, down to his neck where the bodysuit joined the armor’s chestpiece. Even the voice coming from the helmet was a deep, distorted imitation of his real voice.

An exotic collection of mysteries, waiting to be unraveled by him.

On top of everything he had to balance in his life, Theron couldn’t imagine how could a living legend, a Mandalorian bounty hunter could make anything better.

Or worse.

. . .

_Coruscant, SIS HQ. Two weeks after the disaster on Yavin 4_

Sipping his caf, Theron realized the ensign was in fact, talking to him. As he resurfaced from the depth of his mind and pushed all recent memories of a certain Mandalorian aside, he cleared his throat in a manner he hoped was... inconspicuous.

"Come again?"

The SIS agent's frown deepened at his obvious daydreaming.

"Agent Shan, what is the last thing you remember?"

He glanced at the planetary observation panel and pretended to think.

"Imperial mingling on Quesh, mining the poisonous gas and presumably mass producing bioweaps."

"Yes. They also have the local Hutt under their thumb, and all his Gamorrean thugs."

Why did it feel like the ensign was trying to...

"Get out there, Shan, and dig deep enough to know what exactly are they making."

The young man stood from his chair with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, which in this case was... none.

"Right on it, sir."

As he smoothed the wrinkles on his jacket and began walking towards the exit of the hall, he made a quick detour to Fabini, the best watchdog the SIS could have in its employment.

Fabini sensed his approach, since he switched screens on his holopad and Theron saw him change comms in his cyber-enhancement as well.

"Shan? You off to Quesh?"

Theron didn't have to pretend like he was surprised at Fabini knowing about his next assignment. Instead, he chose to nonchalantly lean against the chair beside the Neimoidian and crossed his arms on his chest.

"Seems so. Any warnings, heads-ups, red alarms about that place?"

"Take the antivenom on the orbital station. The place is wrecked with poisonous gas. There is a resident doctor handing the antivenom to any and all visitors, you can't miss him."

Theron had to admit, Fabini's advice was welcome this time. He recalled the time before his first visit to Hoth, the Neimoidian's advice was, 'dress for cold'.

But that wasn't why Theron chose to delay his departure, and risk being discovered by his superior in the very next room. With an indicative wave of his wrist, he invited Fabini to lean a bit closer in his direction.

"Heard anything?"

To his surprise, Fabini didn't mock him with an eyeroll or theatrical acts for doing extra favors for him. The cyberspy simply gave him a nod and glanced back at his datapad, as if he was about to turn it on again.

"Tatooine. Deep in Imperial territory. He brought the Mandalorian clans to his heel and wrecked the Sand People's conclave. Last thing I know is that he slayed a krayt dragon and took its skull."

For a reason Theron knew way too well, a short, nostalgic smile appeared on his lips. He knew he had to show some gratitude to Fabini after this, but for a few moments he let his imagination wander again, conjure the dry wastelands of Tatooine in his mind and see the Mandalorian hunter boosting his jetpacks and act like hunting the most dangerous creature on Tatooine was child's play.

The buzz in his pocket brought him back to reality once again. While his mind desperately clung to seeing the mercenary's beskar steel helmet, his roughed up armor and the way he would have that smug, mischievous smile on his face every time he and his friend -- another Mandalorian called Torian -- cracked an awful joke.

With a short, almost painful sigh and the familiar tightness in his chest, Theron clasped a friendly hand on Fabini's shoulder.

"Thank you. I'll bring you some Firebrand next time."

"Don't mention it, Shan. He provides quite the excitement, and I'm just observing from afar."

After saying farewell to his ally, Theron quickly left the building before his boss would realize his stalling.

Some people are born to be hunters. Just by being in Werd's company, Theron knew the two of them could defeat any and all obstacles in their way. The man had a certain air around him, that caught Theron's attention during their very first meeting. In the first moments, as the Mandalorian walked in Beniko's immaculate office on Manaan, Theron felt the air, the whole world shift around himself, like it will never be the same as it used to... like he was just about to meet the most welcome complication of his life.

Even if he just escaped being buried alive, the warrior's mere presence was a reassurance that whatever the galaxy would bring against them, Werd would have a plan to counter it. The recent dangers didn't even faze him one bit. Some people are born to be warriors, Theron supposed. Not soldiers, like Theron himself: he went where he was told and did what he was told, but direct confrontation wasn't his style.

Werd operated on an entirely different level.

War was his trade, but he had a unique code of honor that didn't let him act on whims. He only hunted the worthy pray, only accepted the most dangerous galactic scale bounties that would bring him honor and ensured the loyalty of his men.

On his way to Quesh, the agent reminisced in the news he heard about the Mandalorian and often found himself regretting not being by his side, just to see him in action. Just to see him talk with Mandalorians, speak their language and bring them in line just by outplaying them in their own game. Even if he wasn't one of the , Theron sympathized with Torian Cadera for following Werd everywhere and learning just from watching the man live.

As his small shuttle was booting up and ran the security checks, Theron smiled to himself.

Of course Werd would hunt that dragon on Tatooine. It bolsted his men's moral immensely and he even had a trophy to bring home.

The thought sparked another curious question in his mind. With a small, intrigued frown Theron realized that he knew little to nothing about the place Werd would call "home", where it would be.

Now he had an entirely new topic to daydream about.

"Man, I have it bad," he mumbled to himself and sighed at the starship's control panel, as if the holomap of the galaxy would nod back at him with profound wisdom.

“ _Yes, Agent Shan. You have it bad.”_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> News flash: a rampaging Mandalorian wrecked Revan's camp while looking for a Republic agent on Rishi. Witnesses report excessive use of explosives. The Republic agent appreciated the rescue, although he didn't need it.

Being a secret agent looked incredible in holodramas. Werd thoroughly enjoyed watching the daring rescues, the heroic escapes of young and dashing actors during long hyperspace jumps. It was common knowledge on the Mantis that the infamous hunter had the habit of intently following the escapades of highly trained agents who were so confident they didn’t even flinch at the explosions they left behind. Of course those were actors and doubles, but that never bothered Werd in believing that secret agents went through adventures even he couldn’t think of.

Even with his rather impressive resume, Werd knew that Theron Shan had such tricks up his sleeve that could make him stop in his tracks and think twice. Theron Shan, who was already on his way out of the Revanite compound by the time Werd arrived to rescue him, guns ablaze and kicking down doors to find the secret spy who didn’t even need saving after all. That stunt had the Mandalorian hunter think for a good hard moment behind the helmet’s concealing visor. The genuine surprise also got the better of him, and since Theron looked like he was still on top of the situation, the words escaped before Werd could have stopped himself.

“Theron! Are you okay? I came here as fast as I could after Lana told me you were kidnapped!”

“I should have known you’d come to get me,” the agent cut into his words, exhaustion and relief softening his tone. Despite the dark shadows under his eyes and the roughed up state he was in, he broke into a light jog to join Werd. “I almost made it out on the front door when I saw you’d shown up.”

Werd had his attention on Theron, so he completely forgot that Revan himself was on the holocomm, alive and very much angry for all the damage Werd caused in his camp. As it happened, it seemed that Theron had also chosen to ignore the legend being in the same room with them, and informed the mercenary about all he learned during the brief time he spent in captivity. Hearing the sly plan Revan orchestrated, Werd felt even more confident in his decision to destroy Revan’s camp on his way in.

As the ancient, legendary turncoat began another monologue about his master-plan on the holo, Werd used the time to initiate a scan of Theron’s injuries with his helmet. He saw bruises, open wounds from having been beaten but the scan revealed no broken bones or internal bleeding, which sent a wave of relief through the Mandalorian’s mind. When he looked back at Revan, and the masked man magnanimously announced the camp’s self-destruct sequence, the hunter simply rolled his eyes.

“You done?”

“This place is coming down on top of us!” Theron yelled at him, as if the hunter wasn’t aware of that.

“You could have joined me, Theron. Understandably, you’re as tenacious as I once was. Goodb--” the image cut, and Revan’s figure vanished when Werd slammed on the holodesk’s controls with an armored fist. The computer erupted in a bright fountain of electric sparks and smoke in the same moment, but the man was already turning away from the wrecked apparatus.

“We’re done talking anyway,” he replied in his deep, distorted voice and reached for Theron’s arm and pulled him along.

“I can try to shut down the self-destruct sequence, if we hurry!” The Republic agent yelled through the blaring alarms and ran past Werd for the moment, but the man caught up with him quickly. By placing a hand firmly on his shoulder, the masked hunter used his most comforting voice he could muster, even if his amusement made his voice waver around the beginning.

“Calm down Theron, I’m here. No need to fret.”

For a moment, the secret agent’s face sported the most incredulous deadpan Werd had ever seen.

“What? This isn’t the first time a building is collapsing on me,” the hunter explained, then flashed a thumb in the direction of their escape. “Your computer is waiting for your input, Theron. If it doesn’t work, I’ll just bust a hole in the ceiling.”

Not so far ahead of them, Torian smashed a security droid’s head on the floor and turned to them with an excited, bright grin. He didn’t even bother masking his amusement as he yelled at Werd, “we are underground!”

“Then I’ll bust a bigger hole. Revan needs a better interior designer anyway.”

He saw Theron hold his palm to his forehead for a moment before connecting to the computer in the corner.

“Not like I haven’t had building collapse on me, but I never thought you’d be excited about it.”

“Wait, you’re not?”

He could hear Theron sighing and eye rolling at the same time. While keeping his six safe, Werd wondered just how much of his humor the man could take in one day. Torian was used to Werd’s style of quips and clean, cool head during emergencies, but the hunter was not so sure about Theron. He did come from a more… delicate background after all.

The rest was just another daring escape Werd had also seen before in one of those sappy holodramas, even though it involved much less explosions and blaster fights to his liking. He would also have preferred to have kissed Theron dramatically upon exiting the compound, but that was an entirely different and private matter.

Theron didn’t have to know about that yet.

On that note -- Werd added mentally to his list -- Theron didn’t have to know about his research about the revenant Force lord, and his newly formed determination to see this matter to the end regardless of the pay or the consequences. By ordering his lackeys to kidnap Theron Shan, Revan had officially made this personal between the hunter and himself. Plus, Theron’s jacket took an awful beating too, which was further proof that Revan was truly a savage who couldn’t appreciate fine arts.

On their way out, the sight of the smoking ruins of Revan’s camp laid in front of the young man’s eyes; littered with the bodies of Revan’s officers, the wreckages of transporter ships, blackened husks of destroyed power generators and holocomputers. The valley was completely wrecked and screamed the telltale signs of a rampaging Mandalorian. The same Mandalorian who stood right by his side, the one who hung up a holocall from Revan himself.

In truth, that was enough proof about his intentions and reliability, and the hunter knew it. If Theron had any doubts about Werd’s unshakeable values and the promises he made, they were gone. For now, Theron had no words, only his gaze lingered long on the scenery and there was no hesitation in his moves when he climbed on the speeder behind him. When their eyes met, Werd saw trust and calmness. He was glad to have proved himself to Theron that he did not joke around when he said, “I came here as fast as I could, Theron. It’s not like they could stop me from getting you out.”

Then, as if they weren’t in the middle of a battlefield with the Empire and the Republic waging their war right above their heads… Theron Shan wondered just when could he see Werd without the helmet? How did he look like? Later in the Rishii village, his voice betrayed for how long he must have been contemplated on that one mystery.

. . .

For a while, Werd and Torian lingered at the undisturbed, peaceful beaches of Rishi. The special spot they found was near the village, so in case Lana would need their assistance, she only had to leave the tree-house and comm them.

The sunset around these parts was breathtaking, and the two Mandalorians took numerous pictures with their helmets about the magnificent colors the sun painted on the dancing waves, with an occasional fish disturbing the surface. If he could have, Werd would have built a fine house in these parts, but the omnipresent piracy threat was way too much of a hassle to handle for him. If he would find another planet similar to Rishi, he would build a cosy homestead there.

The thought remained in the back of his mind and returned with new ideas every now and then. Later, when Lana, Jakarro and Deefour left to discuss the details concerning the assault on Revanite headquarters, Werd realized that he’s been refilling and examining the add-ons of his armor for around half an hour with no real progress in the Rishii hut.

“Why do you never take it off?”

Theron’s question from the other side of the hut caused Werd to still in his moves and take a well controlled, steady inhale through the helmet. He forgot about time and space, since recharging the armor and ammo stacks was always therapeutic and calming. For a moment or two, he could only wait until his mind would try and come up with an excuse, but with the way Theron’s eyes lingered around the visor, the bodysuit’s neck piece and armoring, Werd knew he had little choice but to tell the truth.

“I prefer having it on at all times. I don’t… look.” He turned to face Theron with a rather uncertain raise of the wrench in one hand, and the flamethrower add-on in his other. “I don’t think you’d like what you see behind it. ‘Tis nothing special.”

He truly hoped Theron would leave the subject there, but at the same time, it would have surprised him. The agent couldn’t raise his eyes with the same effect like normally, not with the bandages covering his face all over, but the message was still clear to the hunter. Theron was not impressed, and certainly not convinced with his answer.

“Is it an injury? Are you trying to be dramatic?” The young man asked, now leaning back against the Rishii treehouse’s wall and folding his arms on his chest as well. This time, the Mandalorian gave him a pointed look, which, with the helmet on, was even more apparent.

“No. It’s not an injury, although the right side of my neck and the bottom of my jaw is burned a bit. Nothing I can’t cover up.”

“I have never even seen your face before, and there are no pictures on the holonet,” Theron stated, as a matter of factly. As if it would be Werd’s fault that his mother was technophobic and didn’t upload any childhood pictures about him in his wee injured-kneecap age. He doubted that the woman would have any recordings about him, anyway.

“I prefer it that way. Not everyone likes what they see in the mirror, Theron.”

As he expected, the young, handsome man’s eyebrows shot up high on his forehead and for a long moment, Theron remained silent. Werd couldn’t guess what was going on in his head, but after around half a minute of contemplation, Theron stood from his spot from the wall and walked over to join him.

First, Werd became way too conscious of the fact that he still held the wrench and the flamethrower wrist-guard add-on that he wanted to refill with gas. It was also the same moment when he realized, he was tinkering with a flamethrower in a treehouse and Theron was getting way too close to him. Within arm’s reach by the time he finished the thought.

Incredulously, Werd immediately scolded himself for being unprofessional and ungrateful for the warm Rishii hospitality. Not only was he endangering their tree house, but his unprofessional behaviour might also endanger Theron as well.

“I should go outside,” he suggested, and applied the flamethrower on his wrist guard safely, when Theron reached in and placed a firm hand on his wrist.

His eyes jumped on the agent, and when their eyes met, Theron narrowed his in suspicion.

“How can you not like what you see?”

Oh, Werd was prepared for a question like this. Starting from the girls in cantinas who would have done highly dangerous and unethical things to see him without the helmet, to Hutts who would have paid unbelievably great sums to get their hands on a picture of him without the headgear, Werd has dodged this question countless times already. Even so, this time, for a reason he couldn’t label just yet, his throat tightened and his voice cracked slightly as he uttered his reply to Theron Shan.

He couldn’t finish the sentence. The same sentence he repeated so many times, he lost count. The same sentence he could recite in the middle of the night if someone would shake him awake (and stay alive after a feat like that).

“I have a very…”

The words dried on his throat and vanished from his mind. All that remained was the visor’s projected image of Theron’s grey eyes and the genuine interest in his voice.

He couldn’t lie to Theron.

Werd couldn’t hold the man’s gaze for long. Glancing away at the workbench, the wall in front of them, he took a long inhale and sighed from all the pressure lying on his shoulders. Cautiously, he extended the audio scans of his helmet and confirmed that the hut’s proximity was safe from uninvited intruders.

For the moment.

Beside him, Theron kept examining his reactions. There was no doubt about that, Theron Shan was a highly intelligent man and on top of that, Werd loved and appreciated the patience Theron rewarded him with.

His heart was still hammering in his chest, and all warmth left his fingers as the realization dawned on him. Theron wanted to see him. Theron wanted to look behind the helmet, where not even Mako was allowed to sneak a peek in.

He swallowed again.

“I… I don’t think this is a good idea, Theron.”

“Unless you turn out to be a hairless Talz stripper, I don’t know why you’d have any reason to be shy,” the agent nonchalantly shrugged.

“You have no idea about that stripper part yet, mister Shan.”

Theron rewarded him with a small, amused laugh which eased the Mandalorian’s alarmed, highly uncomfortable nerves for the moment. As long as he could make him laugh, Werd supposed he couldn’t mess up so badly.

As the air settled around them again and Theron’s hold from his wrist rose gently to his shoulder, Werd couldn’t help but raise his gaze up to meet the man’s eyes again. The familiar, friendly gesture calmed his anxious heart and from the calm, patient gaze of the other, Werd drew more reassurance that he could have from anywhere else. His voice was still croaky and hushed when he leant closer to Theron, to suggest, “perhaps around the evening when most have already gone to bed.”

“I don’t want to put you on the spot. You can keep it on.”

The hunter’s heart swelled with unbound appreciation, and constricted with longing ache for the man in front of him. He couldn’t help shutting his eyes for a moment, to regain more of his usual charm and confidence.

“No, you’re right.” Werd nodded and took Theron’s hand into his. “You deserve to see me, after all this.”

“And we will see about that stripper part later, won’t we?”

Immediately, a smug and self-certain smile spread on the Mandalorian’s lips.

“Are you doubting one of my many great talents, Agent Shan?”

Mischief sparking in his eyes, Theron slipped his fingers from Werd’s hold and held both hands up in feigned surrender as he began backing away, towards the hut’s exit.

“I wouldn’t dare. You had to become the most expensive death mark in seven star systems _somehow_.”

. . .

When the Republic secret spy’s figure disappeared from view, Werd raised a contemplating hand to hold the helmet’s chin in his fingers, and placed a cocksure hold on his waist with the other.

He couldn’t wait for the evening.

He couldn’t wait to see Theron Shan with his own eyes.

. . .

And when he did, he felt the whole world change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter! Give me a comment or kudos if you did ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boundaries are crossed.

The Imperial alarm blared all across the building and Theron’s ears hurt from the sound. Holding a blaster pistol in one hand and comm in the other, he pressed his back against door and counted his breaths. The unbearably loud alarm refused to stop, making him doubt his partner’s efficiency. He raised the comm to his jaw and asked, “what’s taking you so long?”

“I’m-- ..” the static only stirred the covert agent’s annoyance further, and he glanced behind his back to check his six. This time he didn’t have the Empire’s most dangerous bounty hunter to rely on. “--datapad… … broken!” 

His fellow agent’s voice was way too rapid and anxious.

With a troubled frown, Theron began to think about the building’s blueprints and how he could exploit the ventilation systems, the elevators, the holodesk inputs and more. If this operation would go down the same way like Nar Shaddaa, he might not have enough time to save his colleague and get the job done.

He also had to stop wishing for Werd to miraculously appear and just by being there by his side, make all Theron’s problems vanish at once. It’s been a month since he last saw the hunter, and although his heart ached and longed for the Mandalorian, the agent had no choice but to shove those heart wrenching feelings into the back of his mind. He had to focus on the present.

. . .

It wasn’t a secret that Theron held a degree of distrust and resentment against Lana Beniko after her scheme to have Theron abducted by the Revanites. Against his will, that is. If he didn’t know Lana better, he would have suspected her to be a defector. It was only because Werd showed up the way he did, that the covert agent knew Lana simply played her cards in her usual, pragmatic and very much Sith ways. She knew he would hack into the computers, and knew he was more than capable of getting himself out of trouble.

It was still Werd, who turned the whole Revanite camp upside down, set it on fire and wrecked every ship, looked in every building and decimated the Revanites in his way just to find him. Only to find him.

That whole ordeal meant more to Theron than anything else at the moment. Lana was an excellent tactician and knew her enemy inside out, but playing with his life was something Theron couldn’t just swallow like a bitter pill. He already had enough of those missions where his superiors dropped him in blind and deep, trusting that he would make his way out.

The very same superior who called him “agent”, who gave him away to be raised by someone else after his birth, who watched him from afar but wouldn’t intervene even if his life was at stake… who was also present at the negotiations just now.

His frustration was growing by the minute, and when Werd told everyone else to leave their makeshift base of operations and leave them alone, Theron was more than relieved to see Lana, the loud Wookie and his droid disappear behind the door.

Right after, the hunter pulled up a seat and took up a comfortable position by resting his elbows on the table. “Talk to me, Theron. I scanned the place. No one will hear you, just me. I know you have a lot on your mind.”

His green eyes examined the Mandalorian for a few moments, the roughed up, scratched black and blue armor, the concealing T-shaped visor. Behind the Mandalorian’s cultural symbolism, the blue color of his armor meant reliability, the black carried justice, and Theron found himself agreeing with those attributes. Werd had proven himself to be loyal beyond Theron’s expectations, and even though Theron still hadn’t seen his face, he trusted the man with his life. This bounty hunter, who probably started as a brawler or enforcer for a Hutt and currently served Darth Marr, one of the most powerful and influential members of the Dark Council.

And yet… the covert agent of the Republic drew a long inhale through his nose and sighed, as if that would ease all the burdens and memories on his shoulders.

He had been through so many trials, so many near-death experiences, so many times he thought the world was coming down on top of him, Theron lost count over the years. If he would begin, they would be sitting here for the next week and Theron knew for a fact that Werd sympathized with his tiredness of being used, thrown into danger and never getting a break. 

The masked hunter continued to wait for him, and just by enjoying the silence in the hall Theron found his mind gradually slowing down, his thoughts becoming less and less biting and bitter. His friend was right here across the table, and he could trust Werd to keep anything he would say just between the two of them.

So, Theron began with Beniko’s scheming, the doubts that had begun to root in his mind and his heart about this unusual alliance. Rhetorically he asked Werd if it was wise to trust a Sith after all, and brought up a recent memory with another Jedi that turned to the dark side. Another near-death experience here, another there, and somehow whenever a Sith appeared in his life and by the time he came to, Theron had to race with time and death to save himself and at least one of his loved ones.

Not like those loved ones would actually move a stick to help him. They expected him to succeed, as if there was no doubt about that. At least Werd had his friends, his warrior-bond with Torian Cadera, and people by his side who followed him without question.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want special treatment. It’s just… I love it.” He stood and let his satirical, bitter monologue go on. “She calls me ‘ _ her agent _ ’, like it’s sheer coincidence we have the same name. Though it’s not like Master Satele raised me,“ he went on, articulating the name of his mother with just a bit more accurately “or like we ever do mother-son stuff,” he added, feigning nonchalance. He also reached the section of the table beside Werd and decided to lean against the edge of it.“Just an odd way to refer to your kid, you know?”

To his surprise, Werd gave a dismissive wave of his hand as he stood as well.

“What do you expect? Jedi aren’t exactly the sentimental types, and she is head-Jedi.” 

The way he said it drew a small smile on Theron’s lips. Head-Jedi. He had to steal that one.

“Yeah, I hear you. And you? Your mother?”

“The legitimate or the illegitimate one?” 

Theron couldn’t help the disbelief and surprise on his face, and he should have expected Werd snapping a picture about him with his helmet.

“Oh, come on!” the agent reached in to push the hunter on his shoulder, but smiled anyway.

Laughing softly, the Mandalorian raised his hand to catch Theron’s and wrap it in his hold. “The faces you make sometimes…” 

“Don’t get me started. Must be losing my mind, opening up to the Empire’s most infamous bounty hunter. Letting him take pictures of me, even.”

“You can’t blame me for appreciating fine art.”

And there it was again, Theron thought to himself. The man behind the Mandalorian helmet complimenting him with small, sneaky comments like this and expected him to remain professional, within diplomatic limits of their alliance?

Theron drew his hand back from the hunter and folded his arms over his chest, as the gears in his head turned faster. Werd and his reluctance to remove his helmet, wondering if Theron might find him unattractive after so much time spent together. If that was even possible, the agent still wished to see who was hiding behind the Mandalorian steel headgear, who kept wrapping him around his fingers subtly like Sollustian silk, yet so efficiently, Theron didn’t have anyone else on his mind these days. 

“Werd,” he hummed the name, letting the consonants and vowels roll easily. “I would like to see you.”

As he expected, the hunter stilled in his tracks. From his moves and gestures Theron had already learned to decipher his possible expressions and emotions behind the helmet, and he wasn’t surprised to see the man tense in his shoulders, draw his hands to his waists and take a short inhale through his mouth.

“Yeah, we didn’t have time last night.”

As the moment of silence drew longer, Theron kept his eyes closely on the hunter’s slowing gestures and moves. Werd shifted his weight from one leg to the other, sighed once more, cleared his throat. Watching him in such apparent discomfort, Theron’s mind sparked a new thought, one that he liked in an instant.

Even so, he knew that by asking it, he and Werd would go down a path with no way back. His heart began to beat with an urgency he hadn’t felt for so long, the sensation brought a new wave of anticipation, warmth and hope for Theron. The silence between them also let him welcome the peace that came with his decision, and the next time he raised his gaze on the hunter, he knew there was no doubt, no hesitation in his voice either.

“Do you sleep with the helmet on?” 

“No,” Werd said, as a matter of factly, and he raised his head to look at him again. 

Led by a sudden impulse, Theron raised a hand invitingly, which the hunter accepted by intertwining their fingers in front of them, his eyes following their conjoined hands and tilting his head as well. For a reason, Werd remained quiet and still on his spot, even though Theron knew that his eyes were searching his behind the helmet. 

He couldn’t wait to find out what color were Werd’s, how did his hair look like? The curiosity and the intimacy behind the discovery warmed his chest and as if the world would slow just for their sake, Theron used the prolonged silence to clear his throat from the tight grip of anticipation.

“Then pretend it is the night cycle now. It is only me and you here,” he hummed between them, and let the moment draw longer. Werd’s breathing was audibly slowing and as the peaceful quiet stretched further, Theron felt the hold of his fingers become softer, more gentle than before. The hunter’s other hand began to rise up to his jaw, then with a reluctant move, he withdrew it and wrapped Theron’s hand between both of his.

“Thank you. This actually helps,” he admitted, in a voice that was unusually shy and soft. “Promise you won’t leave?”

The other couldn’t help the warm, amused smile appearing on his lips, “I promise. Take it slow.”

“No pictures.”

Theron nodded, even shut his eyes briefly for the oath he made, “I promise. No pictures.”

His heart trilled with newly found hope when Werd reached up again, although his moves slowed and he visibly had to take a short, tense intake of air. Once and again, the hunter’s fingers were already on the helmet’s clasps, and all Theron could do was patiently wait until the man would be ready.

“Hold on... “ the Mandalorian muttered softly then cleared his throat before hesitantly asking him, “can you turn away, for a moment? Or just, close your eyes until I’m ready?”

The request took Theron by surprise, but he quickly recovered and reminded himself not to show any signs of his growing curiosity or impatience. For some reason Werd needed more time, so the agent placed his hands in his pockets and turned towards the wall, looking left and right around the empty space until his breath caught in his throat. He also had to remind his heart that this was an immensely profound and private matter for Werd, for he had expressed numerous times how he didn’t like his own appearance.

As he waited and let his mind clear the clatter of his reeling thoughts, Theron found his feet rooted to the ground as a new discovery hit him right then. He turned his back on a Mandalorian, a mercenary employed by the Dark Council.

An even more shocking, almost paralyzing revelation came right after.

He knew Werd wouldn’t betray him. He felt it in his bones, in his very core deep inside his heart, a rock solid and impenetrable trust.

He knew Werd wouldn’t turn a gun on him, yet the sheer realization of his pure and unhindered trust in the Mandalorian halted everything else in Theron’s mind. Just a few months ago, Werd was the enemy, an indomitable, raw force hailing from the Empire… and Theron had had no idea what kind of a man would be behind the helmet. His heart beat with almost electrifying warmth into his every limb, and he took a moment to close his eyes to calm his breathing, his mind, his hopes. 

He knew Werd wouldn’t betray him. 

The helmet clicked behind him, he heard the man pulling it off his head and unclasp the bodysuit’s neck piece before placing the headgear beside Theron on the desk. As he remained unmoving, the agent’s eyes widened and even his lips parted slightly at the view in front of him; the black and blue painted helmet lied empty of life on Beniko’s desk, and even the visor was dark, void of the vibrant sky blue light. 

He heard Werd fumble with something behind him, and as he recognized the sound of his breathing so close to him, Theron began counting the seconds. 

“Okay. I… Well. I guess… you can turn around if you want.”

At the sound of the hunter’s real voice, Theron had to remind himself to keep his lips shut and restrain from letting pure and unabashed awe settle on his face. He couldn’t help feeling as if he would have just stepped into a miracle but right then, just a few seconds ago, he heard Werd’s real voice for the first time in his life, undistorted by the helmet. 

He couldn’t wait more, so he turned and in the same moment, Theron Shan felt the whole world slow down to consist only of the two of them, and nothing seemed more important than the present in his mind. 

He remembered the first thought that echoed endlessly later on, after their separation. He remembered the undeniable pull in his hands, all his limbs and his entire body to reach out and confirm, prove that what he saw was reality. 

Werd was so much younger than Theron thought he’d be. He was so young, so handsome.

He must have been in his early thirties at maximum. 

At first, he didn’t even realize the hunter said something, until the man repeated it and his voice was deep even without the helmet, but soft, young and with the natural rasp of someone originally from Hutt space. 

“Your eyes are green…” Werd smiled at him, and Theron felt his own lips follow suit in the same genuine, thrilled, gentle way just like the way his heart soared from finally seeing the man. “Your eyes are green, Theron.”

His were deep chestnut brown, almost oaken, similarly shaped like Theron’s even if his skin had a warm beige tone. At the sight of his thick, dark brown dreadlocks tied up into a tail on the back of his neck, Theron had to close his lips as they parted again in awe, and take a short inhale. 

He had expected Werd to look entirely different. Older. More battleworn with scars, maybe a Mandalorian tattoo like Torian had but… the man who just emerged from the concealment of his helmet had no such injuries or markings on his face, he was clean shaven and handsome just the way he was. 

“Wait… my eyes?”

Werd’s eyes shimmered with genuine happiness as he nodded, and he couldn’t stop smiling ever since he took the helmet off. “Yes, from the helmet I thought they were grey.”

“Well…” The agent raised a hesitant hand to his nape, suddenly speechless from the amount of attention. “Yeah, they are green.”

“Theron, you’re gorgeous.”

The compliment sent a rush of warmth down his spine and at the same time Theron felt his cheeks heat up impossibly. In the moment he couldn’t even say anything, just managed to mumble a short “you too,” and quickly collected himself.

When their gazes met again, Theron let the pull in his entire body lead his hands up and reach out, like a man delirious at the sight of a mirage. Werd stilled, and his eyes even fluttered shut from the sensation of Theron’s fingers touching, cupping his smooth, clean-shaven jaw. 

“You think so? I can’t believe this is happening,” the hunter whispered between them, and the covert agent nodded with him. 

“You’re… so young.”

“What? I’m thirty-one, Theron.”

So his guess was right. Theron released a short, satisfied hum along with his reply as he withdrew his hands, “not so much older than me, then.”

Werd pursed his lips, bit down on his lower lip and tried his hardest to stifle his laugh, then only ended up with a light, hearty chuckle. A real, soft and amused chuckle which only lit Theron’s heart and his lower abdomen in a pleasant, burning warmth.

“Well, according to the statistics you’re supposed to find me attractive, then.”

“It’s not the statistics, believe me.”

The hunter’s eyes were wide open from surprise, and his gaze returned to Theron’s in the same instant. The agent couldn’t miss the way Werd shifted from one leg to another and placed his hands on his hips, as if he didn’t know what to do with them for the moment, yet the genuine joy and curiosity wasn’t gone from his eyes.

“Well, I-- thank you, Theron. Also, I will use the opportunity to remind you, that the hyperspace drive from Rishi to Yavin Four is going to take a long time. You might end up missing me.”

“That I will…” the man admitted with a slight smugness in his voice, shifting just slightly closer by half a step. “And you’re not letting me have this for long, here.”

Werd raised a curious eyebrow as his eyes measured Theron, up and down.

“Anyone can walk in on us, and I happen to be a private person.”

“I thought I was that too…” The agent replied, his olive green eyes glancing from the man’s lips to his eyes, mischief evident in his voice. “And to think people told me, if I ever I open up to an Imperial I’d implode...”

The deep, soft laugh of the Mandalorian sent another wave of pleasure down Theron’s back and abdomen. To think that they stood so close, he could just take a deeper breath through his nose and felt the scent of Werd’s skin right there, his eyes met the man’s deep brown irises and his hands could barely, just barely hold back from reaching out. 

With just the right amount of deep rasp and smugness in his voice, Werd smiled again. “This day isn’t over yet.”

“Thank you for the subtle hint, Hunter,” Theron hummed back to him, and this time he didn’t even care if his voice rang just slightly lower, heavy with the same lust that demanded his eyes to peek at Werd’s lips again. 

The other’s gaze remained fixed on him while his hands moved and pulled Theron’s fingers onto his waist, then slowly reached around to pull him in by wrapping his arms around Theron’s middle as well.

“I have a name,” his voice was barely above a whisper, but that drew a slightly different thought to Theron’s mind.

“Werd. Mandalorian for ‘shadow’,” he replied, voice equally hushed. “Isn’t difficult to guess it’s not your real name.”

“You’re being needy, Theron Shan,” Werd drew his eyebrow up again, his eyes never leaving Theron’s in the manner of mock-scolding. “You want my face, my name, what’s next, my credit account?”

Theatrically, yet with pleasure and amusement in his voice, Theron let an easy laugh trill between them.The man was undeniably, almost infuriatingly handsome under that black and blue helmet, and just the fact that such a smart, adventurous man would find himself unattractive… Theron had to click his tongue disapprovingly and wish, hope, demand from the galaxy that Werd would just kiss him. “Dunno, my jacket is ruined after all. You were late with the rescue.”

He wasn’t surprised when Werd finally pulled him in for a long kiss at that taunt, and the sensation left Theron only wanting more. When they parted, the Mandalorian’s eyes were heavy with such warmth, that Theron could only hold him closer and drew him back for another kiss. 

Werd reached up to cup his jaw in his palm with a smile and leant in to touch their foreheads together, “I’ll get your new jacket, and more.”

“Now I can’t wait for that long hyperspace ride to Yavin 4.”


	4. Looking Forward to Tomorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Four, in which Werd is in the middle of furnishing his apartment, and he remembers the first time Theron met his two best friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning.... ... ... grophets.

The view from the top floor apartments of Kaas city gave a thoroughly different perspective about the city. As the ideological capital of the Sith Empire, its shadowy and dim nature held the ancient blocks of buildings in a tight grip, and yet the layout of the streets and massive squares gave the air of unshakeable power. No matter how savage the wildlife was outside the city gates, Kaas City remained the seat of the Empire and took pride in its sheer volume on an otherwise indomitable planet.

When Werd first arrived to Dromund Kaas, he expected to find a second, darker version of Nar Shaddaa. In his green days, fresh out of Hutta, the young hunter couldn’t imagine a more oppressive and dangerous place than Shaddaa and his early judgement of the Sith Empire suspected to find an even more cruel, unforgiving city-planet with armies of slaves and the merciless Sith keeping their inferiors in line.

He wasn’t wrong about the last parts, yet the treacherous, gloomy jungles caught him by surprise. It was only later when he understood the ideological depths of the reasons why the Sith wouldn’t just eradicate the forests and populate the planet with their large number of servants.

From the top floor, Werd saw the cloud of fog pooling in the bottom levels of the city. Impenetrable white mass of moisture, which concealed his gaze from seeing the ground, anything that would lurk beneath it.

In the heart of the Sith Empire, the bounty hunter raised his gaze to the surrounding buildings, all identically brandished with the dark metal surfaces and white lights emitting from within. The white mist consumed their bases in the depths, rain danced on their windows endlessly and their inhabitants couldn’t care less about the dangers lurking just outside their meticulously constructed home.

It was power, pride and dominance that defined the Sith, and Kaas City was their jewel of all times, embodying all three attributes in its invulnerable, stubborn perseverance.

As his eyes followed the rain’s path down the windowpane, Werd sighed and took another sip from his kaf. Ten minutes had passed in relative silence, save from the occasional scratching noises coming from the entrance hall, and the two small, knee-high creatures sniffing around.

In the other end of the giant living room, Torian switched a page on his datapad and frowned in concentration. The situation they had on their hands required precise action and patience, since the creatures in the entrance hall have never visited this place before. As such, Werd’s apartment was an entirely new world, a new domain for them and all guides on the holonet suggested a slow, gradual opening of new spaces for the animals.

As a new thought sparked in his mind, Werd turned and took inventory of the furnished living room. He had taken extra precautions before bringing his small companions home for the first time, for example they rigged the doors with Blizz so they wouldn’t open if one of the newcomers would approach them. The doors still sensed Blizz, recognized his size, but anything below the Jawa’s height would be stuck in the spacious living area. They also covered all electric sockets, placed a large box of soil with flora from Yavin Four for the new residents, and hoped that they would like the scenery. Blizz was overjoyed when Werd decided to include a Voss mahogany bed in the same space for him beside the window, and a small sized table for his tinkering.

Torian hummed with contemplation, “perhaps we can bring them in now.”

Placing his cup on a nearby Voss table, Werd savoured the moment while he cleared his throat (and mind), and nodded.

“Pebbles first. He tends to get excited, and I don’t want him and Snuffles be like ants on the wall, all over the place.”

Torian stood from the desk and started for the door, “good idea. I’ll bring him in.”

When his friend disappeared behind the door, Werd’s eyes initiated a scan with the helmet, the air, the taxi routes, the nearby roofs of buildings. It was an instinctual move, after being in the business for so long he was expecting hitmen to uncover his apartment location soon enough. Even if he made sure that his given name and professional alias remained difficult to connect through deals or any other record, he couldn’t help the suspicion in the back of his mind.

Theron wouldn’t like the city, Werd decided. He would despise the endless scheming of the Sith and their power-play that disregarded even the basic respect for the lives of others, but then again, Theron had an entirely different upbringing than the hunter did. He didn’t have to carve his way up from the absolute bottom of society, and didn’t have to constantly prove his worth since the people around him regarded him with respect.

As opposed to the Republic, the Sith Empire did not allow the weak to thrive. Theron’s Republic was based on the ideals of compassion and democracy, while Werd believed those to be the instruments of complacency. Mandalorian or not, the man couldn’t sympathise with people who couldn’t stomach the idea of proving their own worth through sweat and blood, if life demanded those from them. Tilting his head to the side, the hunter decided to correct the last thought, since even if Werd didn’t always agree with the ruling class of the Empire about their views of oppression, he was willing to do their dirty work as long as it posed a considerable challenge and ensured a fancy paycheck. He did make his way all the way from a backwater Outer Rim planet to the seat of the Galactic Empire after all, and it didn’t fall into his lap. He didn’t have birthrights, highly trained educators from the early years of his life and most certainly didn’t have any other possession than his made-up alias when he began.

Theron might like the apartment, though. It was cosy, and with the extra heating vents Werd installed, it was comfortably warm in there too. He imported handmade Voss furniture, soft rugs on the floor and placed multiple pots of exotic flowers to the windows. Despite being in the heart of the Empire, he made a fine home for himself in the midst of dark tones and stark contrasts, yet it still didn’t feel like a cacophonic splash of colours. The wooden surfaces were well balanced by the plants and stacks of blaster rifles by the doorways, along with the stolen Jedi lampposts he and Torian claimed after a raid.

Theron might not like that bit.

Another piece of decoration he was undoubtedly proud of, was the gigantic statue of Shae Vizsla in the middle of the living quarters, in the very middle of the hall which lead from the bedrooms to the living room. He wondered if Theron would also appreciate the honor of possessing the sculpture in the first place.

He could hear Pebbles loudly grunt and snort on his way up the corridor, and the hunter’s thoughts returned to the present once more.

The grophets will be safe here, he told himself for the dozenth time. That was the exact reason why he brought them here. They will be safe here, they have a large space to roam in and play, and the heating vents would ensure they wouldn’t catch cold.  

When Torian appeared in the doorway again and held a grey, tropical grophet in his arms, Werd couldn’t help the small smile on his lips. Pebbles sniffed anxiously around Torian and wiggled with his legs and round body until Torian finally placed him on the ground. Upon hearing Werd call out to him, the grophet’s ears perked up and as he noticed his owner, the small creature quickly ran across the room to him.

Werd crouched down to be on the animal’s level as it approached him, his hands reflexively caressing the grophet’s forehead and back as he spoke, “Pebbles, I’m here, it’s alright.”

With his tiny hooves, Pebbles stumbled over Werd’s armored boots as he tried to rub himself against the man, snorting and breathing heavily, as he told Werd in grophet, “after so much excitement, I’m happy to find you here.”

“It’s a lot bigger than the ship, right?” The hunter scratched the small creature’s chin and patted him on his back. “I hope you will like it here. We put a box of flowers and stuff in there for you, and your toys are on the couch. Look,” he stood and walked over to give his pet a stuffed wampa toy.

At the sight of the plushie, Pebbles stood tall on his front hooves and bent his hind-legs, his ears were high up in the air again and he snorted with a short huff. In grophet, he greeted his toy and wanted it, so Werd bent down to give it into his mouth.

Looking around in this vast space, Pebbles looked for a safe spot where he could store his plushie without anyone disturbing it. His dark button eyes found the Yavin Four flora box and he quickly strode over, forgetting Werd and Torian’s observing gazes right away. He disappeared under the leaves, and Werd could only see him through the heat vision of the helmet. For a few moments, the two hunters remained quiet, then at the animal’s content munching noises they shared a satisfied, victorious look.

Pebbles was set. Now, Snuffles.

. . .

The idea struck Werd out of the blue, while they were waiting for Master Shan to pry more information out of the madman Werd caught earlier. Given the fact that Yavin Four had tropical forests and enough caves, clearings and tricky cliffs to hide, the hunter instructed Mako to bring the ship beside a nearby waterfall and gave her and Rennow two days leave. Considering that they had no orders at the moment, the Mandalorian also instructed Torian, Blizz and the freeloader Skadge to hunt for game in the forests, preferably for a couple of hours.

When his plan was set in motion and the gears turned seamlessly (all crew members away from the vessel), Werd switched to maximum capacity on his jetpacks and flew to the Coalition’s Republic forces.

He found Theron on the plateau, datapad in his hand and a curious Neimoidian by his side. The alien agent’s large eyes widened even further when Werd’s armored figure appeared in the air, not much far from the cliffs. His finger shot out to show Theron, a Mandalorian was hovering high above ground, examining them. Theron recognized him in an instant and waved invitingly with his hand, so Werd could fly in and land in front of them without being targeted by the guards. Despite the Coalition’s strange pact of peace, Werd knew that as Mandalorian, he was still considered an outside help both for the Republic and Imperial forces. They had all reasons to double-check his intentions.

Even so, as it turned out that Theron wasn’t alone, Werd needed to improvise. He couldn’t just reveal his plans to another SIS member, one he couldn’t trust just yet.

“Fabini, this is Werd. Forgive me if I won’t cite all your titles.” Theron placed a hand on the other slicer’s shoulder and with his other, he motioned at the Neimoidian. “Werd, this is Fabini. One of the SIS’s best slicers.”

“N-not really,” the agent mumbled, his hands now jittery from the excitement. His eyes were glued on Werd rather obviously, they wandered from the helmet down to the beskar chestplate then to his wrist guards. “I’m just good at tracking and… data mining.”

“Good to meet you.”

Theron folded his arms over his chest as he looked Werd in the eye and the natural, quick way he found exactly where to look through the helmet brought a small, satisfied smirk on the hunter’s lips.

“Any news?”

Shaking his head no, Werd motioned behind his back, “not from Darth Marr, that is. I have to show you something. It’s worth looking at, at least.”

Theron’s eyes narrowed just enough that Werd knew in an instant, the agent was suspicious of his motives. Was this a trick to get him alone with Werd, or a real occurrence that required Theron’s expertise? Werd’s helmet included a 3D holoscanner, he could have just scanned the object and project it here for them, but he still chose to ask him to tag along?

“What is it?”

Werd opened his arms in the universal way of saying, he had no clue. “I found it in the forests, seems ancient but has circuits all over it. Maybe you can look into it.”

“Alright. We will be back shortly,” the Republic slicer told his colleague, then turned to look questioningly at the hunter. “So, which way?”

“Grab a speeder and just follow me.”

Theron sent him a pointed look as he narrowed his eyes for a quick moment, to further emphasize his message, “ _this better not be a trick, Werd,”_ but decided to go along with his plan.

To avoid suspicion, they remained quiet for the time Theron borrowed the speeder and followed him back to the clearing. As they descended below the forest’s thick blanket of branches and made their way to the ship, the Republic agent maintained a respectful distance between the hunter and himself, which further convinced Werd about Theron’s intentions to keep their companionship a secret.

As the Mantis came into view, Werd sped up a bit and hovered above a specific spot where Theron could land with the speeder.

“You do realize that if they notice we are gone _and_ gone somewhere together, they won’t like that,” the young spy noted with wariness in his voice, and he even folded his arms over his chest while Werd walked up to the entrance of the ship.

“I’m sure you’re creative enough to find an excuse. I just want you to meet…” here, he interrupted himself and thought quickly. What if Theron wouldn’t like them? “My friends.”

He received a rather suspicious, even more cautious look from Theron than before, and the agent’s eyes darted at the door. Hesitantly, but only the way someone was preparing for a confirmation to their question, Theron gave an indicative nod at the ship, “you mean, they are in there? Your clan?”

“No, they aren’t Mandalorians,” Werd said and saw his friend calm significantly after that, so he opened the entrance door slightly then closed it and looked back at Theron. “One of them gets very excited when meeting new people, so hold on, I’ll ask my droid to let the other one meet you first.”

Theron Shan eyed him with such a steadily unimpressed look that the Champion of the Great Hunt had to clear his throat and collect his confidence again. He opened the door and instructed his protocol droid to close the door of his room, then motioned invitingly for Theron to come and join him.

Once inside the ship, Theron quickly memorized the sight of the interior, it was obvious from the way he glanced around the Mantis’s cargo bay and the way his eyes lingered on certain objects. He didn’t have much time, since Werd reached up and removed the helmet from his head, which immediately erased all other thoughts from Theron’s mind. His gaze softened as their eyes met without any artificial barriers, and he even shook his head mockingly.

“All this, just to get me alone with yourself?”

His question lured a self-satisfied, smug grin on Werd’s face as he replied, “you’d be surprised at the lengths I’d go just to get you alone with me.” He even winked at the agent, who rolled his eyes despite the warm smile he had on his lips. “But I also want you to meet my friends here. Alright, R8.”

They turned at the sound of a door opening, and when a tiny, knee-high and very round creature poked its head through, Werd saw nothing else but pure surprise in Theron’s widened eyes and the amused, soft laugh he just had.

“A grophet?”

“Snuffles, come here,” Werd crouched beside Theron and opened his arms invitingly with his elbows on his knees, so the grophet would join him. Snuffles raised his button eyes on Theron, but voted enough confidence to his owner to trot up to him, snort and huff at him in greetings and rub himself to Werd’s knees. “Theron, this is Snuffles. His brother Pebbles is in the room.”

“Pebbles and Snuffles.” Theron repeated, and if Werd wouldn’t have known him better, he would have thought that the agent deadpanned at him. “You had them here all this time?”

“They come with me everywhere,” the hunter explained, all the while gently rubbing Snuffles on behind the curiously perked up ears. “Snuffles is a bit shy, so let him smell you and touch you first, then he will warm up to you quickly. A warning about Pebbles though, he might try to get into your lap.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but…” Theron lowered himself into a crouch beside him and offered his palm for Snuffles to sniff at. “Nice to meet you, Snuffles.” Then, he turned to Werd with an incredulous look, “don’t ever tell anyone I said that sentence aloud.”

Possessing great wisdom in his own gaze and pursed lips, Werd took a knowing, understanding breathe in. “Just wait until he starts purring to you. The things I say sometimes when he is just… lounging beside me…”

“I can’t believe you actually had two grophets on your ship, all this time.”

For a moment Werd remained silent while he sank his weight backwards and sat on the ground in lotus. Naturally, Snuffles climbed over the man’s shins with his small hooves and found his usual comfortable position in Werd’s lap, closely snuggled to his abdomen and cradled up by the hunter’s arms from both sides. The short interval reminded Theron to sit on the ground as well. As he kept watching the relaxed animal, soon he reached over and caressed the small grophet’s forehead bumps a few times as well.

When Werd spoke again, his eyes stayed on his grophet. His voice barely above a low mumble, the man sighed.

“Well… first I had to know that you wouldn’t blackmail me with them. Pebbles and Snuffles mean a great deal to me, I can’t just go around showing them to people.”

As their gazes met and Werd felt his heart burst and constrict at the same time from having Theron just by his side, just close enough to reach out and feel his presence under his fingers, he was pulled in by the agent for a short kiss.

“Handsome, and an animal lover,” Theron smiled at him, his eyes wrapping the hunter’s entire form in a warm, pleasant sensation. “There must be a catch.”

“I kill for a living,” the other shrugged. “Though, it’s not like you haven’t done that before, indirectly.”

Theron nodded in agreement, although he did disagree with the man slightly. “Only if I must.”

“R8, let Pebbles in.”

Werd let Snuffles snuggle closer to him in his arms and wrapped the grophet in a steady yet loose hold as he pulled himself just a bit closer to Theron, “sorry to interrupt but… brace for impact.”

Suffice to say, the next minute passed in a certain degree of disarray. Pebbles ran into the cargo bay and almost managed to knock Snuffles out of Werd’s arms just because he was so happy to see his owner. As a consequence, Snuffles sulkingly climbed over into Theron’s lap and took his previous snuggly position in the man’s lap, his head comfortably leaning against the man’s stomach.

Werd held Pebbles up in the air for a few seconds until the grophet would stop trying to climb up on his chest to lick his face.

“He is over-excited and gets jealous easily,” he explained. “Also, I got him on Rishi, and I am fairly certain he’s been handed over to new people way too often. R8 tells me that he still cries every time I leave the ship. He might think that I leave forever.”

Snorting and breathing heavily, the grophet in his arms released a soft, pleading squeal which also softened Werd’s resilience. He lowered the animal and finally let him gently climb up on the chestplate to sniffle at his neck and lick his jaw a few times. Theron couldn’t help watching the exchange of caring hugs and loving sniffs between the hunter and his pet, “yes, yes, I missed you too. Pebbles, I’m back.”

Werd turned to him as soon as Pebbles was calm enough to be held in his arms, “so, how do you like my grophets, Theron?”

It was also when he saw the agent raise his forearm from beneath Snuffles’s chin, and give it a thoroughly bewildered look. “He is drooling on me,” Theron stated, but at the sight of the pet relaxingly breathe in his lap, he simply shut his eyes and counted to ten. “And… where did you get Snuffles?”

“Stole him on Nar Shaddaa, from a rich and spoiled runt. She was feeding him ice cream, and probably had no idea that grophets are milk-intolerant. I had to buy a lot of medication to get him back on his feet…” then, as his gaze lingered on the red and bronze furred animal, Werd gave a small, happy smile to the one sitting in his lap. “I think he likes you, though.”

"That's comforting to know before we all die,” Theron wondered aloud, his hand gently smoothing the silky soft fur on the pet. “At least a drooling, milk-intolerant grophet likes me."

“Ah... “ Leaning back on his free arm, Werd raised a mocking eyebrow at the agent, “so my feelings aren’t taken into consideration?”

Theron’s eyes reflected the same mischief and smug self-satisfaction like the hunter’s own, “I could be persuaded.”  
  
Sitting up straight again and cuddling the grophet up higher in his arms, Werd raised an index finger between them.

"Consider this: we might all die in the matter of hours, but if we do survive, you could take a break from SIS and secret agent business.” His sentence rooted Theron to the ground, Werd knew it. A workaholic like him probably never considered _actually_ taking a break, at most they played with the idea while during a crisis, ironically, but never acting on those ideas. Since the man was openly giving him a wide-eyed and almost awed look, Werd continued. “I earn enough that we could go somewhere nice."

Theron had to blink a few times to come back to himself.

"Now you're just making it worse. I wanted to die without regrets, you know."

"I won't let you die, Theron. Not while I breathe."

For the second time that day, he had the man sit just by his side, speechless from the natural conviction in his voice, in his chestnut brown eyes. Theron glanced away and instead of replying for a long minute, he just kept caressing Snuffles between the ears. As the silence between them drew longer, Werd felt a strange, almost sorrowful hurt wedge itself in his chest.

He couldn’t have known was was going on his his lover’s head, and the simple realization stopped the Mandalorian from interrupting the agent’s thoughts. Whatever had rendered the man speechless, it must have been enough for Theron to handle without Werd intervening. Theron’s green eyes wouldn’t meet his for enough time that the hunter began to think he crossed a line, but then, just then…

The agent reached over and placed his hand on Werd’s shoulder.

"I think it's best I choose our vacation resort."

Unable to resist the rare, heartwarming sight in front of him, Werd pulled him in for a gentle, profound kiss. It left Theron gently humming something to himself under his nose, and since he was once again too busy petting Snuffles in his lap, Werd continued watching the two. He didn’t even care if he looked like a lovestruck, smiling fool.

"Choose somewhere... neutral,” he noted, after some time has passed. “Private. The more distance from everything, the better."

Nodding in agreement, the agent even sighed as he said, "we'll be way out of holonet relays."

"Let them find us only if the world is ending."

"A place with beaches?” Theron glanced at him with his eyes focused yet at the same time, distant with the daydream taking form in his mind. “Palm trees, soft breeze, sunshine? You could keep the helmet off."

The Mandalorian gave a curt nod, his eyes languidly holding Theron’s gaze, as for Werd it seemed like time would slow just for their sake. "Perfect.”

"Only if you come too.”

At that, Werd pursed his lips for a swift moment and couldn’t help the smug grin from appearing on his face as he glanced around the place before lolling his head to the side again. His eyes met Theron’s, and the agent narrowed his in suspicion."Don’t worry, I plan to. Multiple times a day."

Pebbles scoffed and munched in Werd’s lap.

Looking away from him to stare in the distance with a thoroughly tired and empty gaze, Theron pretended he did not just hear that. His facade was dropped soon enough, when Werd gave him a small, amused laugh, and that was then the agent admitted, "right. Just what the doctor ordered."

“We take the grophets.”

Theron Shan nodded, his eyes now sinking to the dozing little lactose-intolerant piglet softly breathing in his arms.

He nodded.

“We take the grophets.”

. . .

For the last time that night, Werd chugged the remaining alcohol from the bottle and tossed the can aside. Pebbles’s ears perked up at the sound, but he didn’t otherwise move from his warm and cosy spot from his owner’s side while Snuffles grunted. He was peacefully lying on his side at Werd’s feet, probably half asleep at such a late hour. With the rain endlessly pouring outside for the past week over Kaas city, Werd didn’t feel motivated enough to take a step outside, much less to take any jobs.

He had been busy furnishing his apartment and trying to figure out how to solve Pebbles’s separation anxiety. While he was progressing very well with the first goal,  he had little to no success with the latter.

Not only did the two grophets figure out how to open the doors of the main hall, Werd left only for a short while for groceries and came back to find Pebbles and Snuffles rampaging in the garage. He wasn’t joking when he called the two “ants on the wall”, since their little hooves were slippery on the tiles, but they quickly learned how to balance and glide in the corners or while turning, so they were very difficult to catch.

They also figured that when Werd wasn’t home, no one would tell them to keep off the bed. He tried to keep them out of the bedroom for the night cycle, but Pebbles would cry at the door and knock with his small hooves so persistently with Snuffles in toe, that the hunter ended up letting them back in.

“Why did I bother buying cushioned nests for you two, if you’re just gonna use my bed anyway?” The Mandalorian lamented at the grophets currently lounging in the same bed with him. While they didn’t shed and didn’t leave unsavoury smells in the bed sheets, Werd wasn’t used to sleeping with animals in the same space with him.

Surprisingly, Pebbles raised his head and gave him a bored, incredulous look as if he’d ask, “ _what are you complaining about this time?”_

The man let his head fall back on the pillows and for a long time that felt like eternity, he remained there, staring at the ceiling. The grey grophet snuggled closer to his side, so he raised his arm and waited until Pebbles would find a comfortable position, and only then he let his arm down and across the animal.

“Let’s hope Theron will like the idea of sleeping in a bed full of grophets. I give up.”

Snuffles snorted in his sleep, and Werd’s chestnut brown eyes softened from the familiar ache and longing resurfacing in his heart.

“If I ever see him again… that is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But did you like the grophets? It's important to me that you did.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked this piece. Kudos and comments are welcome! <3


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